Meet the team – Adam Stock

Having worked in Watergate Bay, in both the hotel and Fifteen Cornwall, for the past 10 years, Head Chef Adam Stock will be a familiar face. Now heading up the team in The Living Space he enjoys creating good, honest food served in the restaurant.

We caught up with Adam to find out a bit more about him.

How long have you worked at Watergate Bay?

I started working here in 2004 in The Living Space and stayed here for two years. Then in 2006 I was part of the original Fifteen Cornwall team, helping to start up the business and create great Italian dishes. After four years at Fifteen I came back to the hotel as Head Chef of The Living Space and that’s where I’ve been ever since.

Have you always wanted to be a chef?

I have always had an interest in food having worked in many kitchens as a teenager. But when I went to college I decided to take a Hotel Management course which I completed in Thurlestone Hotel, Devon. Whilst I was there, however, I went into the kitchen and realised that here was where my real passion laid. I’ve been in the kitchen’s ever since.

What’s a normal day like for you?

I start early, usually getting into the kitchen at 7am to start prep for the day. In The Living Space we run all day service; from lunch through to dinner and light snacks, so I have to be in the kitchen prepping both the team and food ready for the day ahead. The morning’s are also when I speak to our suppliers to order in fresh food for the day. Our fish supplier will ring first thing to let me know what he has caught that morning and I’ll pick what I want and design that day’s specials around them.

For the rest of the day I’m on the front line, cooking with the rest of the team, speaking to customers and enjoying my job.

What’s your favourite part of your job?

I really enjoy that The Living Space has an open kitchen, it’s great to feel like part of the restaurant as opposed to being shut away. It means customers can see us and we see them enjoying the food we make, they can also stop by to ask us questions or give us feedback; I really enjoy interacting with customers.

I also love prep, handling the fresh produce and designing our menus for the day. In The Living Space we have daily changing specials which reflect what’s in season that month.

The Living Space was also recently added to the Trencherman’s Guide, the South West’s guide to the best restaurants, as a rising star, which we are all delighted with.

How big is The Living Space team?

We have six chefs including me in the kitchen. We are a great team, who thrive on a busy restaurant; we can go from 0-60 in seconds. On a very busy day we can turn over up to 400 covers, but that’s when we work at our best, concentrating on what we are meant to be doing and doing it well. I love a busy restaurant!

How many covers can The Living Space seat at once?

We can sit 70 inside and about 78 outside on the deck.

How do you decide what to put on the menu?

The menu in The Living Space is pretty versatile, changing to coincide with the seasons and produce we get in fresh that day. We take a lot of inspiration from the Mediterranean markets in Spain and Greece and fuse them together with great Cornish produce to create dishes we’re really proud of.

What’s your favourite dish on the menu?

I really like the LSFC (Living Space Fried Chicken), it’s a classic chicken burger that proves you can make stereotypically fast food in a great, flavourful way. Another of my favourites is the Fish Finger Sarnie – I’m a comfort food kinda guy.

Can you sum up The Living Space in one sentence?

The living is easy in The Living Space. It’s somewhere you can spend a lot of time – rain or shine, whoever you may be.

When you’re not at work where can we find you?

I really enjoy surfing, but now I have an eight month old daughter I spend a lot of my free time with her and my wife whether it be at home or on holiday, making time for my family is really important.

The Living Space is open to both residents and non-residents of the hotel and welcomes well behaved dogs. Stop in and check us out.